There’s lots of talk on here of grafting to switch or add varieties, but (unless I missed it) not much talk of using grafting techniques to strengthen a tree.
Here’s one example of the type of graft I’m talking about, this is from The Grafter’s Handbook:
Inspired by that diagram, I tried something similar last year on a multi-graft citrus where I was concerned about the crotch angle between the two main grafted branches. Only one of the two sides had a suitable side branch, so instead of twisting two branches together, I sharpened the one lateral like a pencil and drilled a tight hole on the other side. It appears to be callused nicely now:
It will be interesting to see how things develop. I always try to avoid codominant leaders because I’ve seen too many split apart. That inverted bark makes me nervous, but perhaps you’ve found a solution.
That’s a pretty cool ideal. I’ve seen people fuse branches together but not tie them like that. Wonder if when twisting scrape the wood in some places where they make contact together then they could also fuse and grow as one.
I believe that even without scraping, they will eventually still fuse their cambium layers, but that was one reason I was hoping someone had a photo of an old tree with this kind of graft, because I wanted to see what it ends up looking like.
Skillcult on YT had an apple tree grafted into a heart shape. I don’t remember if the tree was a gift for somebody or just because he could and no one can stop him.
In a similar vein, I just decided to copy the graft shown in the handbook on one of my greenhouse trees, even though it wasn’t really necessary here. It’ll help form a “wall” along the path, though.
Very nice, I used a similar approach to balance an unbalance canopy on my peach tree. When the tree was young I lost one of only three primary scaffolds due to plc dieback. I was left with a two scaffold tree which was leaning heavily towards one side, so I needed to add a scaffold but there were no viable buds to notch, so I used a punch graft to install a new branch which now is growing nicely and I can now prune them to balance the weigh distribution in all directions.
Dennis
Kent, wa
Very cool, I was just considering doing the same sort of thing for opposing bark grafts, since they are much more prone to breaking off towards the bark side.
Update on Punch graft since my July 27 post, in mid July I decide to regraft the other side of my peach tree as the first attempt in Spring failed. This time I used a green Frost peach scion with the same technique. Today after observing the scion taking last week I decided to remove the graft tape. It has completely healed and appears to be growing well.
Frost peach graft
Choose a strong scion that is stiff enough to push thru the cut you make in step #2. Wrap it in parafilm covering all buds but leaving an inch uncovered. Trim the scion end with a pointed end that allows you to push it through the branch. It should be trimmed about as slim as the screwdriver blade. Keep the other end blunt so you can tap with a hammer to drive it in or you a gloved hand to push it.
2.You choose a spot on a young branch 2-3 years old where you have smooth bark and no knots an inch or so either side of your graft spot.
With one hand you hold the branch steady to prevent excessive bending or breaking.
With the knife hand you hold the blade parallel to the branch and poke it about 1/4 to 3/8” from its upper surface, then push the blade all way thru the branch. Once there you work the blade back and forth parallel to the branch for a cut about 1.5 to 2”” long. Then as you withdraw the blade, you insert the screwdriver so that it replaces the knife,
As you turn the screwdriver blade to separate the cut, creating a hole for the scion, you then push the scion in place, withdraw the screwdriver, and push the scion until its sharp point sticks out the far side of the branch.
Cut the excess off on far side and tightly wrap the graft union.
Dennis
Sealing the limb in plastic is not a good idea, the sun will cook it possibly killing it. The limb needs access to normal circulation while the wound heals
Just did another support graft, this time on an avocado I’ve planted outside that has two varieties grafted on two leaders that definitely show signs of a bark inclusion forming in between:
